Stroll down this sleepy street of downtown Toronto and you will discover shops dedicated to high-end furniture and design. Here, you will discover luxurious interior pieces like Holly Hunt leather-wrapped desks alongside inventive outdoor designs like nylon rope-back sofas by Kettal.
One of the best showrooms I have visited was one featuring its own quirky style; think antique-like pieces such as goose-feather lighting fixtures mixed with real antiques such as a 1940s buffet lacquered bright yellow.
High-End Furniture & Design
This upscale design district is well known for its luxurious architecture and European statement pieces – but there’s more than meets the eye here if you know where to look!
UpCountry’s expansive showroom follows its own rhythm. Here you will find vintage pieces such as studded leather chairs and beat-up trunks with British iconography from Timothy Oulton mixed in alongside sleek sectionals, dining tables and outdoor pieces made out of Solartex weave synthetic weave patented synthetic weave fabric.
Design Within Reach’s new King East digs feature exquisite displays that make even familiar designs seem fresh and enjoyable, from pendant lights above the central staircase to colorful fabric swatch walls – this showroom makes shopping feel both inspiring and entertaining! If furniture shopping doesn’t satisfy, head across the street for Andrew Richard Designs for quirky outdoor pieces made with Solartex synthetic material – another designer stop located along King Street East’s designer row.
Street Art & Architecture
King Street East in downtown Toronto offers everything that Toronto is famed for-street art, architecture, multicultural food and shopping – plus one of two winning entries of the 2018 King Street Pilot Design Build competition – Face to Face (pictured above), which was installed using photos of Toronto residents interspersed with object shapes made from clay blobs and held together with steel frames.
This piece, installed in spring 2018, joins other murals and installations throughout downtown Washington D.C. This includes “Synesthesia” by Paul Aloisi on Davenport Road north of Dupont; his piece allows audiences to hear sounds of trains passing through Woodfield Road tunnel; Lovebot by Matthew Del Degan is another popular guerilla piece; appearing on storefronts, sidewalks and even streets with the aim of encouraging random acts of kindness and caring behavior.
At UpCountry’s expansive showroom, furniture to covet can be found spread out over multiple floors; pieces like Holly Hunt leather-wrapped desks and Louis XV armchairs sit next to innovative outdoor products by Kettal like nylon rope-back outdoor sofas – an impressive array of styles and materials reflective of the district as a whole.
